West Edmonton Mall

Scotiabank Theatre

The dragon which once graced the Scotiabank Theater, but was removed due to maintenance costs.

The dragon which once graced the Scotiabank Theater, but was removed due to maintenance costs.

Wikipedia user: Stonagal

The large characters overlooking the concession area of Scotiabank Theater.

The large characters overlooking the concession area of Scotiabank Theater.

BestEdmontonMall.com

Scotiabank Theatre is a multi-screen Cineplex cinema located in Phase Four of West Edmonton Mall.

Formerly named Silver City (when it was owned by the now defunct Famous Players corporation), the theatre has 13 screens, including an Imax screen, a DBOX screen and 6 3D-capable screens. It also has a considerable-sized arcade area, with many arcade and redemption games.

The theatre features oversized characters overhanging the concession area, notably Batman and Yoda. However, the theatre was most famous for its life-sized animatronic dragon, which was stationed high above the lobby.

Every 30 minutes (60 minutes on weekdays) the dragon would come to life. To begin, dramatic music would play in the background in order to set the mood. Slowly, the dragon would begin to motion from side to side. The music would escalate; and the dragon would begin screech out as if in anger. Then, as a grand finale, the dragon would breathe out real fire (thanks to a natural gas nozzle in its mouth), the heat from which could be felt from the floor below.

Much to the disappointment of visitors, movie-goers, and long time fans, the dragon was removed in the early 2010’s. The theatre cited maintenance costs as the primary reason, but it also appears that renovations to the layout of the lobby were also a concern.